NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
*All stats/grades via PFF
Commanders training camp is officially underway and there is much for Washington fans to be excited about. Dan Snyder’s reign of terror is officially over and brighter days are ahead. While Sam Howell, Chase Young, and Emmanuel Forbes will warrant the most attention, there are some position battles to keep an eye on throughout the next month.
Here are the position battles to look closest at.
Left Guard
Left guard is the position most up for grabs. Saahdiq Charles will get the first opportunity with Chris Paul right behind him. Charles has battled injuries throughout his three seasons in the NFL. He also struggled when he had his chance to play last year. His 29.7 pass-blocking grade ranked 85th out of 88 guards (250 snap minimum) in 2022. His run-blocking grade (51.3) didn’t fair that much better, ranking 71st.
Chris Paul was selected in the 7th round of the 2022 draft. He had some inconsistent play at Tulsa. He managed a pass-blocking grade in the low 80s in 2019 and 2020. However, it then fell to 67.3 in 2021. His run-blocking grade was fairly lackluster outside of 2020. Paul played well in last year’s preseason recording a 69.4 pass-blocking grade, ranking 37th out of 98 guards.
Prediction: Saahdiq Charles starts week one with Paul taking over in week five.
Nickel/Slot CB
After the selection of Emmanuel Forbes, St-Juste will likely compete for the starting gig in the slot. He started the 2022 season in the slot with Fuller and Jackson playing outside. While there, he allowed just 5 receptions on 12 targets for 45 yards and 0 TDs with 1 pass breakup. His coverage grade improved from 49.2 in 2021 to 60 in 2022. Unfortunately, St-Juste has struggled to stay healthy in his first two seasons. One more injury-plagued year could result in Washington moving on.
Jartavius Martin was a surprise pick in the 2nd round. Playing in the slot, out wide, at deep safety, and in the box, Martin was all over the field at Illinois. He dominated the combine, testing in the 99th percentile in the vertical and 98th percentile in the broad jump.
One significant advantage Martin has over St-Juste is his ability to defend the run. He finished the 2022 season with a 91 run-defense grade while only missing 6.1% of his tackles. St-Juste struggled in this area, with only a 50.4 run-defense grade while missing 14.6% of his tackles.
Prediction: St-Juste and Martin splits snaps to start the season before Martin takes over full-time.
Wide Receivers 5 & 6
Washington is set at wide receiver 1-4 with McLaurin, Dotson, Samuel, and Brown. The question is, who are the last two that make the roster?
Here are the remaining WRs on Washington’s roster:
Byron Pringle
Dax Milne
Kazmeir Allen
Marcus Kemp
Mitchell Tinsley
Zion Bowens
Kyric McGowan
Jalen Sample
Brycen Tremayne
With Pringle having experience in this offense and being the only one with substantial playing time in the NFL, I imagine he is the favorite to be WR5. I believe the 6th spot will be between Milne, Kemp, Allen, and Tinsley. While Kemp has played in this offense, the spot will likely come down to who can return kicks. Only Milne and Allen have significant experience returning kicks.
Dax Milne wasn’t anything special in the return game, but he was reliable. He never fumbled all season and his only muffed return came in week 18 (which he also recovered). His 73.4 punt return grade ranked 4th highest in the league. Antonio Gibson eventually took over Milne’s duty at returning kickoffs.
Kazmeir Allen reminds me of Antonio Gibson at Memphis where he was used all over the field. Allen lined up in the backfield, out wide, and in the slot at UCLA while also returning kickoffs. He only ran a 4.53 at the combine, but looks faster than that on tape. His 24.9 yards per return ranked 23rd best in the country. One note is that he never returned punts in college, only kickoffs.
Prediction: Pringle makes WR5 and Allen makes WR6 while being Washingtons’ primary returner.
